NAME: ___________________________________________________GRADE/SECTION: ____________

Grade 8 ENGLISH 4TH QUARTER

LESSON 4: COMPOSING EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPHS

A paragraph is the building blocks of all documents. It is a group of sentences or a single sentence that forms a
“unit” or relates to the same main idea.

Parts of a Paragraph

 Topic Sentence is the first part of the text that states the main idea.
It can be found anywhere in the paragraph- at the beginning, at the middle or at the end.
 Supporting Sentences are the second part of the text and are usually found in the middle of the
paragraph.
They provide details such as explanations or examples that expand on or support the topic sentence.
 Concluding Sentence is the last part of the text which is sometimes used in longer paragraphs to sum up
the ideas presented.

Characteristics of an Effective Paragraph

1. Unity means that all of the sentences in the paragraph are related to the topic sentence. The whole
paragraph should begin and end with one focus only.
2. Adequate development - the topic sentence in the paragraph should be elaborated on using concrete
evidences, different examples, relevant facts, and specific details.
3. Emphasis is achieved when sentences reveal an order that the reader can see and follow, such as, from
general to specific, from whole to part, from cause to effect, from abstract to concrete, and so on.
4. Coherence means that the sentences are arranged in a logical manner, making them easily understood by
the reader. It means sentences move clearly from one idea to the next without gaps. A paragraph can become
more coherent through the use of logical order and signal devices.

Transitions or Signal Devices are words and phrases that connect one idea to another.
Purpose Transitions or Signal Devices Example Sentence
Time first, immediately, afterward, before, at the same In the meantime, you can review your
time, after, earlier, simultaneously, finally, next, notes for the upcoming test.
in the meantime, later, then, eventually,
meanwhile, now, subsequently
Sequence moreover, furthermore, next, also, finally, last, Next, we will learn about the Industrial
another, first, second, third, besides, additionally Revolution in our history class.
Space above, next to, below, behind, beside The covered gym is located next to the
Gabaldon building.
Illustration for instance, specifically, for example, namely, For example, let's say you have a pet
in this case, to illustrate dog. You need to make sure to feed it
and take it for walks.
Comparison similarly, also, in the same way, still, likewise, in Similarly, both cats and dogs make
comparison, too great pets because they offer
companionship.
Contrast but, however, even though, yet, although, on the On the other hand, some students
other hand, despite, on the contrary, otherwise, prefer reading fiction books,while others
conversely enjoy non-fiction.
Cause and Effect since, because, as a result, then, consequently, She got a good grade because she
so studied hard for the test.
Conclusion in conclusion, thus, therefore,in short, etc. Therefore, it is important to complete
your assignments on time.

Steps in Writing a Simple Paragraph

1: Choose a general topic. Elders

2: Narrow down general topic to a specific topic. Respecting Elders
3: Write up to three questions (how, when, where, What are the different ways to respect elders? Why do
why, who, what) about your specific topic. you respect your elders? Who do you consider as your
elders?
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4: Choose one question (from step 3) on which to What are the different ways to respect elders?
focus your paragraph.
5: Reword your question (from step 4) into a There are many different ways to respect our elders.
statement. This will be the topic sentence for your
paragraph.
6: Write down three sentences that help support your I often kiss their hands.
topic sentence. In this example, these supporting I especially like to listen to their pieces of advice.
sentences should tell what those ways to respect They still love to do things at home, so I help them.
elders are.
7: Summarize your topic sentence and three I would continue respecting them to show that I
supporting sentences with a concluding sentence. appreciate them very much.

LESSON 5: TYPES OF PARAGRAPH

1. Narrative
This relates events in chronological order – the time sequence in which the events take place.
A narration has a beginning. The middle part describes the events including the interesting events that
happened in the story. The end tells what happened as a result of the events.
The purpose of a narrative text is to amuse or to entertain the reader with a story.
This includes fables, folktales, fairy tales, myths, legends, novels, short stories, historical accounts, poems and
plays.
Example: Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived in a cottage near a thick forest. The little girl lived
with her grandmother who was very old and sickly. One day the little girl went to the forest to get her
grandmother some berries for her breakfast when all of a sudden, she heard noises coming from behind the
thick trees.

2. Expository
Defines what something is, explains how it works, or tells the reader how to do something.
Remember that the main idea should report a fact or facts and the support for these facts should be
informative and objective. Include specific examples, details, facts, and incidents.
An expository text presents facts and information on specific topic. It is designed to explain, inform or
describe.
This includes language books, textbooks, news articles, guides, recipes, instruction manuals, directions,
biographies, autobiographies, encyclopedias, atlases, and scientific journals.
Example: Volcanoes
A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s crust that allows molten rock, gases, and debris to escape to the surface.
Alaska, Hawaii, California, and Oregon have the most active volcanoes, but other states and territories have
active volcanoes, too. A volcanic eruption may involve lava and other debris that can flow up to 100 mph,
destroying everything in their path. Volcanic ash can travel 100s of miles and cause severe health problems.

3. Explanatory
Explanatory paragraph is required if you are asked to describe how something works and why things happen.
Basically, it enlightens one about the process, product and everything else that one needs to know about
something particular.
A reader will expect to know the in-depth details and complex ideas through such a text.
It explains how and why natural, social, cultural, scientific, and other things occur.
Example: When you are able to get up, above the horizon, whether in a plane or in the International Space
Station, you can see that the edge of Earth is rounded. By watching as the Earth also rotates from that view, you
can see that the Earth is a rotating sphere and is not flat.

4. Factual Text
Informs, instructs, or persuades by giving facts and information. Examples of factual texts are news
reports, interviews, recipes, records of history, instructions, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Example: Children’s Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1954 as a day of “worldwide fraternity
and understanding between children”. The UN chose 20th of November as it is the date in 1959 when Assembly
adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the child.

5. Personal Recount
Tells past events in the order in which they happened such as a family holiday, or the writers opinion on a
certain subject. Personal recounts can be personal (my travelogue), factual (news events), or imaginative (a day
in the life of a puppy).

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Personal Recount Example: Last summer, my family and I went to Palawan for vacation. We had never been to
Palawan before that’s why we were all excited to tour the entire area. One afternoon we went to visit some
caves in the hills. Inside the caves were the most amazing man-made sculptures. On the third day, we visited a
beach. The waves were just right for surfing so we hired some body boards. It was a fun-filled experience as a
whole.

6. Persuasive Text
Aims to convince the reader to adopt an opinion or a course of action. It is meant to influence how the reader
thinks, feels, acts or makes decisions with regard to a particular idea, issue or proposal.
Persuasive text should have:
 clear thesis on an issue
 uses sound reasoning
 uses powerful language
 presents detailed and relevant pieces of evidence and references
 presents alternatives and counter arguments
 uses clear organization
 provides a clear conclusion
 uses effective and error-free sentence structure
Example: K-12 is not an additional year but minus 2 years for those families who cannot afford a college
education but still wish to have their children find a good paying job. They will not pay for 2 years of basic
education that will give them an employable child. In effect we are saving parents 2 years of expenses. This is
not plus 2 years after graduation but minus 2 years before work. Aside from this, the program will enhance the
students’ attitude that can help them to be competitive globally.

Activity 1. Directions: Complete the following paragraph by circling the correct word/s inside the parenthesis.
Then, identify the type of paragraph development - NARRATIVE, EXPOSITORY, EXPLANATORY, FACTUAL,
PERSONAL RECOUNT, or PERSUASIVE.

Last night, my friends and I went to the (1. beach bar restaurant). On the way, we met
(2. a dog Marco a ghost) and (3. Philip a cat a bus) . They were so friendly, so
we invited them to go with us.
We went into this place called (4. The Funeral Parlor May’s Restaurant Von’s Pharmacy).
The place was so nice and the food was delicious. It was a memorable night indeed because we made new
friends and we enjoyed being with them.

5. What type of paragraph? ______________________

Experts say that drinking hot water is more beneficial than drinking (6. ice cold boiling) water. Hot water
helps in digesting (7. plastic starch food) while cold water solidifies saturated fats in the
(8. body mouth bottle). Experts also say that drinking (9. a cold boiling hot) water
after being under the hot sun for a number of hours is very dangerous.

10. What type of paragraph? _____________________

Once upon a summer time, there was a girl named (11. Tara Tommy Tony) and a boy named
(12. Jhonny Jhonna Joanna). They accidentally met in a picnic spree by the river. She was
wearing a (13. red paper bamboo) dress, while he was wearing
(14. rubber printed plastic) pants with a white cotton shirt to match with . They became close
friends and before summer ends, they promised to be back to the riverside where they first met.

15. What type of paragraph? _____________________

Animals are broken down into two types: vertebrates and (16. inverted braids invertebrates
dinosaurs). Animals with (17. backbone fins wings) are vertebrates. Vertebrates
belong to the phylum called Phylum (18. Chlorata Chordata Coelenterata). Vertebrates are further
broken down into five classes: amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles.

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19. What type of paragraph? ______________________

How do you wear disposable face mask properly? Clean your (20. face nose hands) with soap and
water or hand sanitizer before touching the (21. gloves mask water). Remove a mask from the
box and make sure there are no obvious tears or holes in either side of the mask. Determine which side of the
mask is the top. The side of the mask that has a stiff bendable edge is the top and is meant to mold to the shape
of your (22. nose hands face). Determine which side of the mask is the front. The colored side of
the mask is usually the front and should face away from you, while the white side touches your face.

23. What type of paragraph? ______________________

PERFORMANCE TASK 3

Directions: Write a Personal Recount composition

consisting of at least three (3) paragraphs.
Below are suggested topics in writing your composition.
Choose one that you feel comfortable writing about.
You will be rated according to the scoring rubrics provided.

Pe rsonal Recount text:

1. Write about an embarrassing event that happened to you.
2. Write about a trip or a vacation you have taken or places you visited.
3. Write about your unforgettable experience during your elementary days.
4. Write about your unforgettable experience this school year.
5. Or other topics that interest you.

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(Title)

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